Chattanooga Hosts Annual Wrapping Paper Design Contest for Young Artists

Chattanooga Kicks Off Annual Wrapping Paper Design Contest

Hey there, Chattanooga! It’s that time of year again when creativity meets the holiday spirit in a delightful wrapping paper design contest just for kids. Starting this weekend, young artists from across the area can flex their creative muscles and submit their best holiday-themed artwork for a chance to have it printed as wrapping paper for everyone’s gifts!

Get Those Creative Juices Flowing!

The Lin C. Parker Wrapping Paper Design Contest is calling for all talented kiddos from grades 1 to 5 to pull out their markers, crayons, paints, or whatever medium inspires them to create a beautiful holiday scene on a plain sheet of white paper. The charm of this contest is that it gives children a chance to express what the holidays mean to them through art!

But hurry! Young artists have until November 24 to submit their creations. It’s a pretty short window to create something fabulous, so brainstorming ideas might be a great weekend project. Once they’ve sketched their masterpiece, an adult will need to help capture a close-up photo or digital scan of their design to upload online since mailed entries won’t be accepted this year.

A Bit of History

This yearly tradition was introduced back in 2002 and named after a respected page designer and artist, Lin C. Parker. After her passing in 2017, the contest was lovingly named in her honor. It’s become a cherished local event, and many kids look forward to it as part of their holiday celebrations. Last year’s winner, a talented third-grader named Franny Nichols from Lookout Mountain Elementary, created a gorgeous design filled with bright ornaments and twinkling lights. “I was trying to have fun with it,” she said, and we think that spirit of creativity is what this contest is all about!

What’s at Stake?

The winning design will be professionally printed and featured in a special edition of the newspaper in mid-December, just in time for the holidays. Plus, the winner gets to take home $25 in cash along with some exciting goodies from the contest sponsors, which include organizations like ArtsBuild and the Creative Discovery Museum. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, right?

But wait, there’s more! Runners-up will also have the chance to shine as their designs will be showcased on the back of the newspaper broadsheet. How cool is that to see your art printed in an actual newspaper?

How to Participate

For all the budding Picassos out there looking to jump in on the fun, here’s what you need to know:

• Eligibility: Students in grades 1-5 can enter.
• Entry Requirement: A holiday scene on an 8.5-by-11 sheet of white paper.
• Submission Method: Parents or guardians must take a picture or scan the art and upload it online.
• Deadline: All entries must be submitted by midnight on November 24.
• Voting: The online voting for the Readers’ Choice winner runs from November 25-29.

Winners will be announced soon after, and the grand reveal will include a lovely story about the artist behind the winning design featured in the newspaper.

Let’s Get Creative!

So, gather up those art supplies and let the holiday spirit guide your hands. This contest is a fantastic way for the kids to put their creativity on display, and who knows? You might just see their masterpiece on gift wrap this season! Happy drawing, Chattanooga!